Montana

Real-Time Updates: Severe weather slams Western Montana Wednesday, Dec. 17

Published

2 months ago

December 17, 2025

Press Room

Real-Time Updates: Severe weather slams Western Montana Wednesday, Dec. 17

(Update 11:00 a.m.)

All lanes closed on US-93 near Evaro due to fallen trees.
All lanes closed on MT-200 east of Bonner due to fallen trees.

(Update 10:40 a.m.) The Ravalli County Sheriff’s Office has issued an emergency wind and travel warning for the Bitterroot.

The warning states that “due to extreme winds, which are causing trees to fall into roadways and taking down power lines, as well as creating very dangerous driving conditions, the RCSO is advising that people not travel until the wind event decreases.”

High-profile vehicles should not travel in Ravalli County at this time.

Ravalli County 911 is also currently being overwhelmed with calls. Residents are asked to only report immediate emergencies to 911.

The Ravalli County Emergency Operations Center is open. To report non-emergent storm-related events in the Bitterroot, you’re asked to call the EOC at 406-375-6650.

(Update 10:15 a.m.) The reports of damage around Western Montana are rolling in Wednesday morning as thousands remain without power, especially in the northwestern corner.

As trees topple across the area, officials are urging travelers to use caution.

Trees have blocked access to several roads in the region. Here’s the road report as of 10 a.m.:

MT-35 is CLOSED from milepost 2.8 to 6
Southbound lanes are blocked on US-93 north of Somers due to a semi blow over
Tree down and blocking southbound lanes on US-93 near Ronan
Tree blocking all lanes on MT-35 east of Polson.
Power lines down blocking on lanes on US-2 west of Marion.
Severe driving conditions on US-12 from Lolo to Lolo Pass due to downed trees

The Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office issued a notice at 9:40 a.m. that the county is under emergency travel only.

To the south, the Missoula Police Department requested necessary travel only in the city.

The Frenchtown Rural Fire District put out a public service announcement asking people to stay home and off the roads.

Power outages are still impacting several areas of Western Montana too.

NorthWestern Energy’s outage map at 10:10 a.m. showed hundreds of customers were in the dark in Missoula, Mineral, and Sanders counties. Flathead Electric shows thousands of people without power in Flathead and Lincoln counties.

Traffic signals are out in the City of Kalispell. All intersections with dark stoplights must be treated as a 4-way stop.

Come to a complete stop
Take turns — first to stop goes first
Yield to pedestrians
Proceed slowly and cautiously

Kalispell’s popular Woodland Park is closed due to heavy winds and hazardous conditions.

The weather has closed the following schools for Wednesday (this list will be updated):

Clinton
Frenchtown
Libby
Marion
Noxon
Pleasant Valley
St. Regis
Superior
Troy
West Glacier

High winds tore off the roof of Jefferson School in Missoula. The school is not currently serving students.

Micah Hill / MCPS Superintendent

High winds tear the roof off Missoula’s Jefferson School

This article will be updated throughout the day. Please follow KPAX’s Facebook page for the latest information too.

(Update 9:45 a.m.)

MT-35 is CLOSED from milepost 2.8 to 6.
Southbound lanes are blocked on US-93 north of Somers due to a semi blow over.

(Update 9:15 a.m.) Montana Department of Transportation reporting several new incidents.

Tree down and blocking southbound lanes on US-93 near Ronan
Tree blocking all lanes on MT-35 east of Polson.
Power lines down blocking on lanes on US-2 west of Marion.
Severe driving conditions on US-12 from Lolo to Lolo Pass due to downed trees.

(Update 9:08 a.m.) Hazardous conditions are wreaking havoc across the City of Missoula causing the Missoula Police Department to ask the community to only travel if absolutely necessary.

In a press release at 9:10 a.m., MPD stated that high winds have created dangerous conditions, including reduced vehicle control, blowing debris, and the potential for downed trees and power lines.

If you cannot avoid traveling right now, you’re asked to:

Reduce speed
Be alert for debris in roadways
Watch for downed trees, power lines, and damaged traffic signals
Avoid parking near trees or unstable structures

Do not touch anything, including a tree, that may be in contact with power lines. If you see a downed power line, you’re asked to call NorthWestern Energy at 888-467-2669.

For emergencies, call 911. For non-emergency assistance, contact the Missoula Police Department at 406-552-6300.

(Update 9:03 a.m.) A MEANS alert for Missoula County for drivers to be cautious driving due to high winds, several hazards and extreme conditions.

(UPDATE 8:55 a.m.)
Frenchtown School District has cancelled school. Parents should pick up their student from the school to ensure they are supervised and safe as they transition back home. If parents are unable to pick students up, buses will run at 10:00 to return students home. Phones are also out at the South Campus.

(UPDATE: 8:28 a.m.) The storm is hitting Sanders County hard.

Just after 8 a.m., the Community Ambulance Service of W. Sanders Co. posted that power is out in parts of the area and that strong winds are creating extremely dangerous conditions.

Live power lines are across roads, there are reports of falling trees and debris, and some travel routes have become impassable.

Officials are telling people to not travel unless it’s absolutely necessary. School in Noxon has been canceled.

Meanwhile in Mineral County, St. Regis Schools and the Superior School District have also canceled classes.

Due to fallen power lines, Superior Schools will not send the buses back out.

School officials are asking families to pick up their students Wednesday morning. If you’re unable to do so, you’re asked to call Logan Labbe 406-822-2285 to make accommodations.

(1st Report – 8:20 a.m.) The strong Pacific cold front that is moving through Washington has now arrived in Western Montana Wednesday morning.

Power outages have already been reported all across Western Montana including the Interstate 90 corridor from Lookout Pass to Alberton and in Northwest Montana, thousands of residents are without power in the Libby and surrounding areas. For updates on outages check Northwestern Energy Outage map and Flathead Electric Co-Op outage viewers.

NWE Outage Map 12/17 — Power outages along Interstate 90 from St. Regis to Alberton, Wednesday 12/17 as of 8:00 a.m.

There is also reports of road hazards. According to the Montana Department of Transportation a powerline is down on Highway 56 near Noxon. Several trees are also down across Highway 56 between Troy and Noxon.

Interstate 90 westbound lanes at mm 15, west of Superior, are blocked due to downed trees.

Click here for live map of road closures.

Stay with KPAX for updates on this storm throughout the day.

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Related Topics:Alberton Featured interstate 90 libby Noxon Power Outages road closures St. Regis

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Montana

Your guide to local sports events, plus what’s on TV

Published

8 hours ago

March 2, 2026

Press Room

Your guide to local sports events, plus what’s on TV

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Montana

Montana Department of Agriculture focusing on innovation in 2026

Published

20 hours ago

March 1, 2026

Press Room

Montana Department of Agriculture focusing on innovation in 2026

HELENA — You probably have goals and plans for 2026—the Montana Department of Agriculture does too.

“We’re really focusing on innovative agricultural practices,” Montana Department of Agriculture director Jillien Streit said.

It’s no secret that agriculture—farming and ranching—is not easy. There are long days, planning, monitoring crops and livestock, and other challenges beyond farmers’ and ranchers’ control.

(WATCH: Montana Department of Agriculture focusing on innovation in 2026)

Montana Department of Agriculture focusing on innovation in 2026

“We have very low commodity prices across the board,” Streit said. “We still have very high input prices across the board, and we have really high prices when it comes to our equipment, and so, it’s a really tough year.”

But innovation, including new practices, partnerships and technology use, can help navigate some of those challenges.

“We can’t make more time and we can’t make more land, so we need to start putting together innovative practices that help us maximize what our time and land can do,” Streit said.

Practices range from using technology like autonomous tractors and virtual fencing—allowing rangers to contain and move cattle right from their phones—to regenerative farming and ranching.

“It is bringing cattle back into farming operations to be able to work with cover cropping practices to invigorate the soil for new soil health benefits,” Streit said.

The Montana Department of Agriculture is working to help producers learn, share, and collaborate on new ideas to work in their operations.

The department will share stories of practices that work from farms and ranches across the state. Also, within the next year or so, Streit said the department is hoping to roll out technology to help producers collaborate.

“(It’s) providing a communication platform where people can get together and really help each other out by utilizing each other’s assets,” she said.

While not easy, agriculture is still one of Montana’s largest industries, and Streit said innovating and sharing ideas across the state can keep it going long into the future.

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Montana

Frontier Conference women: MSU-Northern, Montana Western pull upsets to advance to semifinal round

Published

1 day ago

March 1, 2026

Press Room

Frontier Conference women: MSU-Northern, Montana Western pull upsets to advance to semifinal round

BUTTE — MSU-Northern and Montana Western pulled a pair of upsets Saturday at the Butte Civic Center to wrap up the quarterfinal round of the Frontier Conference women’s basketball postseason tournament.

The fifth-seeded Skylights started the day with a red-hot shooting performance to down No. 4 Rocky Mountain College 82-74. Western, the sixth seed, used a third-quarter surge to defeat No. 3 Carroll College 65-56.

MSU-Northern (17-11) and Western (14-13) now advance to Sunday’s semifinal round, where the Skylights will play No. 1 seed Dakota State at noon and the Bulldogs will face No. 2 Montana Tech at 2:30 p.m.

MSU-Northern 82, Rocky Mountain College 74

MSU-Northern sizzled in the first quarter, making seven 3-pointers to take a double-digit lead, and put together a crucial third-quarter run to get past Rocky and advance to the semifinal round.

Becky Melcher splashed four 3s in the first 10 minutes, and Taya Trottier, Canzas HisBadHorse and Shania Moananu added one apiece as the Skylights built a 29-13 lead. Melcher scored 14 first-quarter points and finished with a game-high 30 on 10-of-19 shooting (7 of 15 from 3-point range). She added 11 rebounds, a blocked shot and three steals to her stat line.

Rocky battled back to tie the game at 36-36 in the second quarter on a Brenna Linse basket, but MSUN responded with consecutive triples from Trottier and Melcher and took a 44-38 lead into halftime. The Bears eventually stole the lead back in the third quarter following a 9-0 run capped be an Isabelle Heggem bucket.

But the Skylights again answered — this time with a 13-2 run to take a 60-51 lead. MSUN led 66-59 going to the fourth and wouldn’t trail the rest of the way. The Skylights trailed for less than two total minutes of the game.

As a team, MSUN made 14 of 26 3s in the game. Ciera Agasiva was 3 for 3 from behind the arc, and Trottier was 2 for 3. Trottier had 18 points, eight rebounds and six assists, while Agasiva had 13 points.

Paige Wasson led Rocky (20-9) with 29 points but was 0 for 10 on 3-point attempts. Heggem had a double-double of 21 points and 12 rebounds.

Montana Western 65, Carroll 56

After neither team led by more than five points in the first half, Western broke open a 25-25 tie game by outscoring Carroll 20-9 in the third quarter.

Bailee Sayler scored 10 points in the quarter, including making two 3-pointers, to help the Bulldogs take control. They led 45-34 going to the fourth, and Carroll wouldn’t get closer than six points the rest of the way.

The Fighting Saints were just 18-of-65 shooting (27.7%) for the game.

Sayler scored an efficient 22 points on 7-of-8 shooting. She was 2 for 3 from 3-point range and 6 for 7 at the free throw line. The Missoula native also had nine rebounds.

Isabella Lund added 16 points for the Bulldogs, and Keke Davis had 11 points and 11 rebounds.

Carroll (19-10) was led by Kenzie Allen with 12 points. Willa Albrecht and Meagan Karstetter scored 11 points apiece for the Saints.

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